Fleeting
by Dawnstep
Summary: A week short of a year - that was how long it was. How long he knew me, really. How long we were together. How long I loved him. Well, no, that wasn't quite true - I still love him. Even now. And yet… I'm not "me" anymore. I'm... floating. Suspended.
1. Floating

_One_

A week short of a year.

That was how long it was.

How long he knew me, really.

How long we were together.

How long I loved him.

Well, no, that wasn't quite true- I still loved him.

Even now.

And… yet… I'm not "me" anymore.

You see, there is a name, and there are memories- from _before_- but no face.

A name.

Roxas.

But no matching person.

Even so, though, I remember him.

I remember our promise.

But I'm scared.

Because I remember more than that.

I remember me- Axel- and the things I did.

I remember others- an Organization- and the things they did.

But most of all… I remember the night he broke me.

"No one would miss me."

_No! No, that's not true! I would! Me! I _love _you!_

He changed me… but I remember it didn't really show.

I remember… fading.

And now, I float.

I'm waiting.

I need a "me" again.

"Roxas".

"Axel".

Two.

I'm waiting.

* * *

Sooo? How was it? ^.^ It's a total and complete diversion from my normal writing style, but I quite like it. Errr, some spoilers in there I guess… hopefully nothing too bad. xP But, yesyesyes. First chapter, yippee. Does it seem like poetry to you? I didn't intend it to be, but my friend and my brother, who I ran it through for proofreading and stuff, both thought that's what it sounded like. Hmmm. Can you guess where it's going? I put some pretty thick foreshadowing in there, ha ha. Yeah…. But, please review! :3


	2. Familiar

_Two_

My mind, such as "it" is, stirs.

I, such as "I" am, am scared.

I said that already.

But it's true.

So.

I need a "me".

Right now, I am suspended.

It's dark here.

No light flashes.

So he's not here.

That's good… isn't it?

How can I find him?

Will he want me?

…

…What's this?

It's warm. Why is it warm?

It's familiar. Why is it familiar?

I can… feel?

What?

No, that's not right.

No, I'm wrong.

I am gone.

I cannot feel.

I couldn't in the first place.

But… I can.

My eyes open, and I fall out of the emptiness.

* * *

Whew! Bet you can all tell what's happening now. Sort of. Anyway, the chapters should be getting longer soon.

Wow! Two updates in one day! And there may be more to come… I've got a bunch written up on paper, and these are fast to type, so maybe I'll kick my lazy bum into action, eh?

Okay, thanks for your time! Please review! ^~^


	3. White Room

_Three_

I hit ground.

Or, at least, it feels like ground.

It's hard.

Ground is hard… right?

Or is my memory skewed?

No, it's ground.

My eyes have adjusted now, so I see it.

There is light here.

(Wherever "here" is.)

Does that mean he's here?

Since he is light.

Whether he is or not, something here feels right.

Anyway, I can see.

So I have eyes.

So I'm either a bunch of floating body parts… or I have a body.

I have a body again?

Yes, because I can see my hands.

They look… so wonderful. The same.

I have a "me"!

An "Axel"!

…okay, one step down.

One step at a time.

Step 2: _move._

The fingers wiggle.

_Did I do that?_

They do it again.

_I _did _do that!_

Okay, a little more.

Walking! I'm walking!

But… where am I?

I look around.

(I can turn my head again!)

A room.

Empty.

White.

No, wait… not empty.

A mirror.

There's a mirror on the far wall.

I walk to it, eager.

Anticipating.

I stare.  
I look… well, I look the same.

_Exactly_ the same.

Weird.

How long had it been?

Ten, fifteen years?

I did not keep time well while I was floating.

But it was a long time.

Yet I look exactly the same.

Red hair in spikes.

Vivid green eyes.

Black tears.

(Or maybe diamonds. Even I was never quite sure.)

Tall.

Lean.

About eighteen, maybe nineteen.

When by all rights, I should be…

Thirty? Thirty-three?

Huh.

But then my heart sinks.

Is he that old?

Surely he won't want me, if he is.

Not at all- not me.

But…

Our promise.

_The next life._

_  
_Is that what this is?

For… both of us?

I wish I remembered his face.

* * *

Whooo! More angst! Y'know, for someone without emotions, Axel is sure portrayed as being an angstbucket in a good many fics. xP 

Anyway.

This one's longer~ And the plot really starts to kick in here, and then that will continue into the next few chapters. Ummm…. Yeah. Reveiwer shout-out to Nekotsubasa and Wolfy 33 You guys make my day when you review.


	4. Forest

_Four_

I turn.

There is a door, a plain white door, across the room.

I cross to it.

But I hesitate.

What is out there?

Is HE out there?

But if he is… how will I know him?

_I wish I remembered his face._

Oh, well.

Might as well.

I open the door.

_Whoosh!_

A bright, white flash.

Light!

I am in a forest.

_Wait._

I remember this place.

And- yes- I can see the town!

And a tower.

The clock tower.

It is there!

Standing tall and proud- I remember it!

That was where…

That was where so many things happened.

That is where we sat;

Where we talked;

Where I told him why the sun sets read;

Where we laughed;

And where he fought her, they told me, for the final time.

Wait… who did he fight?

I don't remember her.

Oh, well.

I look around again.

The forest is green, lush.

It must be summer.

Summer…

It's a season that means a lot to me.

Ice cream…

Sunshine…

Battles…

Forgetfulness…

And Roxas.

Summer means Roxas…

And Axel.

Because summer means sun…

And sun is a combination of fire and light.

8.

13.

8-13.

Today is August thirteenth.

I don't know how I know that… but I do.

I feel it.

It's right.

…

I just stand there for a while.

I'm reveling in the rightness of it all.

Yes, rightness.

Much, much rightness.

We will be together again!

I will find him!

I just know it.

I shake my head.

Well, standing here isn't helping me find him.

So I stare at the little tunnel that leads out of the forest.

And I walk.

And as I am almost there…

_Crash!_

We collide.

* * *

This one's happier, yes? Don't worry, the angst will be back in full force soon. xD

…I keep making smiley typos when I forget that FF won't show the 'at' and 'greater than/less than' symbols. xP

That was random.

Oh… and I guess some of you may have figured this out the hard way (sorry! sorry! I forgot to mention it), but there are spoilers for Days from here on out. You have been warned… if a bit late. GOMENNASAI!!

Well, see you next time~


	5. Demyx

_Five_

I am flat out on the floor.

My head hurts.

I sit up.

(Slowly.)

The other boy is dazed, too.

He sits across from me.

He looks injured.

I test my lips.

"…Sorry?"

Oh, good! I can talk!

That's a very good sign.

I look over him more carefully.

He is about my age.

Tallish.

Sandy tan-blond.

His hair…

Is that a Mohawk?

Or one of those… what's it called…

A mullet?

Some of both, I think.

He rubs his head and looks back at me.

"S'okay."

We sit there, on the ground.

I am trying to place him

He seems to come from my memories.

…

But he's not Roxas.

No, I know that much.

After a very long while-

Or perhaps very short-

He clears his throat.

"So."

He says it uncertainly.

"Who're you?"

I blink at him.

"Axel. I'm Axel."

…

"Who are you?"

Now it's his turn to blink.

"I…"

He hesitates, eyes narrowing in concentration.

"I… don't know."

He seems just as surprised by this as I am.

"But…" he continues slowly.

"You seem… kinda familiar."

I nod.

"Yeah. You too."

It's like a… scattered memory?

No…

It's more like a far-off dream.

Yes. It's a dream.

No, no.

It's real.

It _must _be real.

Because I remember his name.

"You're Demyx," I realize.

He starts.

"…Yeah.

Yeah… you're right!

That's my name.

Demyx."

He shakes his head.

"Intense."

I laugh.

"Yeah. Intense."

Ah, another more lighthearted one. And so we find Demmy, wandering around by his lonesome. You know, I keep trying to find ways to mention in the story that they're _not_ in their Organization cloaks, but I can't (and I've got chapters six, seven, and eight done and ready for typing, so it's not just these couple chapters of awake-ness,) so I'll just say that here. Hopefully, I'll be able to describe their outfits soon… although I haven't really decided on any yet, so. xD They're in street clothes of the average sort- let's leave it at that for now, eh?

Reviewer shout out~: Wolfy, Nekotsubasa, and EggPanPockyMan :3 Thanks, guys!

Until next time~


	6. Wander

_Six_

We walk together, Demyx and I.

I am pleased to find I remember more things.

Names, mostly.

Names like Roxas- names with no faces.

Luxord.

Xigbar.

Vexen.

And then one whole person- Saix.

I don't know why he's burned in like this.

But he is.

And it's unpleasantly.

_I didn't like him that much, in the end._

I'm sure of that.

…I couldn't tell you why, though.

Anyway.

We walk together, through a crowded, twisting market.

Lost of stores- a dress shop, a jewelry store, many stands selling food.

We do not talk- we just wander.

Doing nothing.

No… we're doing something, surely.

…

We're _searching._

But for what?

I don't think either of us knows.

For the entire day, we walk in this manner.

But, finally, the sun is setting.

Demyx begins to wonder where we will stay the night.

I think.

And then it hits me.

"The clock tower," I say firmly.

"We can sleep there."

He nods.

I can tell he wonders how I knew that, but he remains silent.

We turn, walking now up a set of stairs.

The we arrive at a plaza, the foot of the tower.

We stare at the doors.

They're locked.

We stare some more.

Hmmm…

I think about it.

I'm frustrated- I _really _want up there.

But then… I feel something pulsing under the surface.

It is dark and cold.

And then… _whoosh!_

"Oh," I say in mild surprise."I remember these."

Demyx doesn't look so sure.

"Well… I _kinda _do, but…"

I grin at him.

"Don't worry. I can do this."

…_I think._

We step forward, carefully entering the dark corridor.

And, sure enough, it spits us out atop the tower.

Something twinges inside of me.

This tower…

It's still just as it was in the days of my memories.

Like it was the first day we met.

He was like a zombie, I recall with a little humor.

We had ice cream.

I smile darkly to myself.

But I shake of the pain- can't let Demyx see.

He wouldn't like me being all…

Angsty. All angsty.

Since it's clearly not sadness- no heart, right?

Right.

We both settle in.

The sun is setting.

Demyx is leaned back, asleep.

But I remain in the world of waking, and I watch the night.

The stars…

The moon…

The tears.

Ohoho! There's the angst again, muah-ha-ha-ha. =D Anyway, another one, eh? I just realized I haven't been doing disclaimers, so… I DO NOT OWN KINGDOM HEARTS OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS, LOCATIONGS, ETC. ETC.. They belong to DISNEY and SQUEENIX, kplzthx.

…yeah. Next chapter: another new arrival… or perhaps an old friend?


	7. Zexion

_Seven_

Eventually, the sun rises again.

It always does. Such is its way.

Demyx wakes up just before noon.

He sits up, blinking slowly.

Then he glances over and sees I'm awake.

"Oh, man, I'm sorry. You been waiting on me long?"

I grin at him.

"Not at all, sleeping beauty."

He laughs and throws a lazy punch at my shoulder.

I dodge easily, chuckling at him.

Eventually, though, hunger drives off our antics.

We sit in silence, wondering the same thing:

How are we going to get breakfast without money?

"We need a job," I say after a while.

He nods almost imperceptibly, his brow furrowed in thought.

"Yeah… but who'll give us a job?

Randomly? Off the street?"

I groan. He's right.

But what else are we going to do?

Money doesn't just fall from the sky.

_Thunk!_

Okay… let me amend that.

Apparently money _does _fall from the sky here.

Demyx and I both stare at the gold pouch, then up.

"Just share whatever you get with me, hmm?"

He is our age, maybe a little different in either direction.

Very short.

Blueish-gray hair flopping in front of his eyes.

Cool expression.

And, perhaps most importantly, a very thick book.

"Hey, I remember you!" Demyx cries in joy.

Zexion sighs. "Of _course._ I remember you, too.

That's why I'm helping you, Demyx… Axel," he adds, nodding at me.

"_Wow!" _Demyx gushes.

"This is amazing! Now there are three of us!"

Zexion's head is now buried in his book.

But he nods and says, lazily, "Yes, last time I added one and two I got three."

Demyx continues bouncing about in excitement.

But I just stare at Zexion.

I am guilty… I must have done something bad to him, in the past.

_But what?_

These holes in my memory are really starting to bug me.

…

After a while, Demyx calms down enough to walk without hopping.

So we head off in search of food.

We look for a while, but eventually find a small general store.

We come out with three apples, a loaf of bread, a jug of juice, a jar of peanut butter, and some plastic silverware. Amazingly, Zexion's money pouch is only the tiniest bit depleted.

We go back to the clock tower the same way as last night, only today I'm able to summon the dark corridor much faster.

Zexion looks over our purchases with little interest.

I give him back the money, and then we all settle down on the edge of the tower to eat.

"Showh," Demyx says, his mouth full of peanut butter. "Whut's yourh shtoryh, Zhexy?"

Zexion raises an eyebrow. "Yours will be cut short if you ever call me that again."

Demyx just grins, waiting for him to continue.

He sighs, but lets it go.

"I awakened a few weeks ago, alone, in a white room, with only fading memories. There was only one way out of the room, and when I exited there was a blinding flash… and then I found myself in a secluded corner of the market square."

"Weird!" exclaims Demyx. "Same for me, 'cept I was right outside the forest. And Axel was _in _the forest."

I nod. "Right in front of the mansion."

Our conversation remains much the same until the sun sets.

Then, all three of us settle into calm positions and, comforted, fall into slumber.

Even me.

Because I just remembered the sound of his laughter.

Gah. I'm kinda annoyed- FF hasn't been preserving the format I have this in. . Oh, well… blegh. So, we met Zexy this time! ^.^ I apologize if he's OOC; I have very, very little experience to work with with him, so.

Next Chapter: Yet another new face? Or… wait a minute, is his hair…?!


	8. Marluxia

_Eight_

Next morning, when Demyx and I wake, Zexion is gone.

He has left us a note:

_Demyx and Axel,_

_When you wake, come down to the market._

_There is someone here you will want to meet._

_-Zexion_

We look at each other and shrug.

So off to the market we go.

Staying away from the more populous areas, it isn't hard to locate our friend.

He is in a small room, open-roofed, with a small stairway leading into it.

There is a man, a few years older than us, and his...

"Is his hair _pink_?" Demyx mutters, shuddering.

"Marluxia, please," Zexion attempts to reason.

"There's safety in numbers. We'll be better off if we stick together."

The pink-haired man glares at him.'

"Look, I have no idea who you- _oh._"

He is staring at me in shock.

His mouth flaps, words trying to escape.

"You're... Axel?" he ventures finally.

I nod.

"Got it memorized?'

That throws _all _of us for a loop

"Forgot you used to say that," Demyx comments.

I laugh. "So had I."

Marluxia still looks suspicious.

But he's lowered his guard now.

"So," he drawls lazily, leaning back against the wall. "You three are banding together, eh?"

I cross my arms. "You're free to join us."

He glowers at Zexion one last time, but then slowly nods at me.

"Whatever," he mutters, leaning back against the wall.

"Guess it's better than starving alone, huh?"

I chuckle. "You got that right."

So we walk slowly, meandering around the square.

By this time, it already three in the afternoon.

We chatter aimlessly, mostly Demyx and I.

But then, abruptly, Zexion interrupts our discussion of a pretty blonde girl we just passed.

"You all will have to come with me to work tomorrow."

We all halt and turn to stare at him,

Ignoring this, he continues.

"I think I can get all three of you jobs where I work, but you'll have to get up at six."

Demyx and I let out cries of disbeleif. Marluxia shrugs.

Zexion explains that he's held a job at a local cafe for several weeks now, ever since he awakened.

The owners, he tells us, are very kind, and took him under their wing. He was staying with them, rather than at the clock tower as he normally did, the night Demyx and I slept there.

Demyx nods slowly. "...so _that's _how you got all that money."

Zexion bobs his head. "The work isn't that challenging physically, and it pays well enough for our needs."

"So what _exactly _is it?" I ask, raising one flame-red eyebrow.

He shrugs. "Waiting tables, making deliveries, greeting people- things of that nature."

Marluxia is quiet.

Zexion is quiet.

I am quiet.

And, after a while, Demyx becomes quiet too.

...

The rest of the day is unevetnful.

But while they sleep that night, I am on and off.

At times, it is gone completely, and I am a blank slate.

At times, I almost, almost catch glimpses of faces.

But they fade away before I can stop them.

And they're never his face, anyway.

But the dawn must come, I know, and end this.

I won't be in my dream world, my protective field of paper flowers, forever.

Will I?

Well! That's the end of the chapters I already had written on paper. From here on out, I'll be typing the drafts as well as the finals. :3 Ahaha, the angst is back! And kudos to whoever caught the 'field of paper flowers' thing- that's a reference to an Evanescence song: Imaginary. '_In my field of paper flowers / and candy clouds of lullaby / I lie inside myself for hours / and watch my purple sky fly over me.' _In which, the field of paper flowers is a dream world, to esacpe the 'chaos- your reality.' Ahhhh, I love Evanescence. 8D

Anyway, to reiterate what I said on Zexion last chappie, and add Marluxia to that: I have extremely minor game experience with him/them! Please forgive any violent OOC-ness!

Thanks to all who reviewed! Reviews = love, by the way. ;D

Well, see you next time~!


	9. Two Sisters

_Nine_

I still cannot believe this.

I am fairly certain Demyx feels the same way.

Somehow, Zexion and Marluxia have managed to drag us through the city at six a.m., and we are now standing outside the door to a little café. It is packed between two other shops- a little bookstore and an eccentric-looking thing with tarot cards and crystal balls in the window- and, at least from the front, looks tiny. The sign on the white-painted wooden door reads "Two Sisters Bakery, Café, and Coffeehouse" and the smells drifting out onto the street are what managed to wake me up. (Demyx, on the other hand, is standing there groggily, leaning on Zexion, who is not entirely pleased with this.)

"Well, then," I say after a moment or five of just standing there enjoying the aromas. "Are we going in or what?"

"Wuzzat?" Demyx says, starting awake at the creak of the door as Zexion pulls it open. He stumbles into me as Zexion walks in, and I push him so he's standing upright.

"We," I say solemnly, gesturing around at our little group, "are going," as I "walk" my fingers to indicate movement, "inside," finishing by pointing into the darkened building as Zexion peers carefully inside.

Demyx stares blankly at me. "'Kay," he mutters, then slumps onto my shoulder. I roll my eyes and follow Zexion and Marluxia inside.

"Jamie?" Zexion calls as we step inside. "Lacey?" He flips the lights, sending the room into gentle relief.

It's one of those undeniably cute little cafés. Each table and chair is unique, an eclectic blend that perfectly suits the place as a whole. It's bigger inside than it would appear from the street, but still not overly large; there's only room for a few four-person settings and around three two-person ones, plus the counter near the back wall, behind which there's a door.

"Oh! Zexion!" comes a sweet voice from behind the door. "Good morning!"

And _then _from behind the door comes the perfect match for this voice. She is tallish, sandy blonde, thin and willowy, with a spattering of freckles across her nose. She's holding a platter of cinnamon rolls (I would guess that they were the smell that was so wonderful- they look fresh), and her shining blue eyes are puzzled and staring at us. "…oh?" she says quietly. "Zexion, who's this?"

Zexion clears his throat and glances between us and the sweet girl. "Good morning, Lacy," he says hastily. "These are… well…"

"Are they friends of yours?" she asks brightly, smiling widely at us.

"Yeah," Zexion says rather lamely. "They're… yeah, friends of mine. Yeah."

Setting the tray of cinnamony goodness down on the counter, she claps her hands in delight and skips over to us. "Oh, this is wonderful!" she says. "You've never brought friends before! Hi there," she adds, smiling at us again with enough wattage that Demyx is actually blinking awake. "I'm Lacey Alcanter. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"These are Axel, Demyx, and Marluxia," Zexion tells her, pointing us each out in turn as he says our names. Then, hesitating, he adds, "They're… er… they're like me."

Lacey's eyebrows shoot up. "Like you? You mean…?"

Zexion nods.

Lacey blinks at us like she's considering us in a new light. "Ohhh," she says, as though Zexion's just told her the meaning of the universe.

I furrow my brown and glance questioningly at Zexion.

He shrugs. "Lacey and her sister found me unconscious on the side of the road. They took me in, befriended me, and believed me, somehow, when I told them what I remembered of my past, and… 'waking up'."

"Speaking of your past," Lacey breaks in. "If you three are… like Zexion, then are you… _were_ you… members of that Organization, too?"

Zexion nods at her. "yes, they were. And what really intrigues me is that I remembered more of the past as I met each of them"

"And we're experiencing the same thing" I add, then, glancing at Marluxia, correct myself, "Well, at least I know Demyx and I are."

Marluxia shakes his head. "No, I am, too. Well, to be fair, I remembered quite a bit to begin with, but I definitely got more information after I met you three."

"Yeah," Demyx adds, finally awake enough to participate in conversation. "I had no idea who I even was, at first, but then I ran into Axel- literally," he giggles, "and I could remember stuff. It was really weird."

Lacey glances between us, eyes shining. "Amazing," she breathes, then turns to Zexion. "I'm going to go get Jamie," she tells him, then twirls and darts away as he nods.

"Jamie?" I inquire of him, raising an eyebrow, once she's gone.

"Jamie is Lacey's older sister," Zexion explains. "They inherited this place from their mother and aunt. It's been the Two Sisters as long as anyone in this town can remember, apparently."

I can't deny that this impresses me. I didn't know stuff like that existed outside of movies.

I hear the door swing open again.

"…and they were all members of the Organization!" Lacey is saying enthusiastically.

"Oh, really?" replies another voice. I turn to face them.

Jamie is taller and slightly stockier than her sister, and that is the most similar thing about them. They are like night and day; Jamie's hair is jet black, her skin is olive, and her eyes are a deep brown. As compared to Lacey's heart-shaped face, her features are sharp and angular. Also, they dress very differently; Lacey's soft yellow floor-length dress and white apron are in stark contrast to Jamie's tight black jeans and gray turtleneck t-shirt. It's hard to believe they're related.

"Wow, you weren't lying," the new arrival comments to her sister. "They'd sure stand out in a crowd, eh? Hey, I'm Jamie," she adds in our direction.

"I'm Axel," I reply, tossing her a quick smile and refraining from adding a 'got it memorized?'. I'm still not entirely comfortable with my recently-remembered catchphrase.

"Demyx," says the blonde, smiling brightly in that perky was he has.

"And I'm Marluxia," adds the last member of our group.

Jamie nods at us, eyes thoughtful.

There is a bit of an awkward silence for a while as we all consider each other and the new things we've learned. Eventually, however, Zexion breaks the quiet. "Well," he says, glancing around at everyone. "The reason I brought these three here is so they could help out… and also to keep them, especially Demyx, out of trouble."

"Hey!" Demyx protests. "I'm not _that_ useless!"

I sigh at him, shaking my head. Marluxia raises an eyebrow.

"Gee, thanks for the support," he mutters in defeat. I chuckle and Jamie grins at us.

"I like you guys already!" she proclaims, laughing, then turns to Zexion. "Fine by me. You, sis?" she queries of Lacey, raising an eyebrow.

The blonde smiles at us sweetly. "Of course! You all are certainly welcome here anytime," she says kindly.

"Well then, that's settled," says Jamie briskly after a moment. Just as she speaks, a timer goes off from the direction of the kitchen. "Oh! That must be my muffins!" says Lacey, hurrying towards the door in the back.

"Come on, you lot," Jamie says, following her sister towards the kitchen. "Time to start earning your keep!"

.x.x.x.x.

Dun dun dun duuuun! I'm ba-ack! My little break from updating any of my stories ended Monday, and I'm back with guns blazing! It served its purpose of spawning many little plot bunnies, especially for this story, so expect some fairly steady updating over the course of the next few weeks. Although, this week I'm going to be fairly distracted by this little thing called, oh, I don't know… E3! I've been watching live TV coverage and it. Is. AWESOME.

-le gasp- A new KH game for the 3DS, _plus_ Final Fantasy, Kirby, Zelda, Mario, Kid Icarus, Metroid, and Donkey Kong? Well, and the 3DS itself? Yes, Nintendo has officially won the expo and totally owned the competition. No exceptions.

-cough cough- Anyway. Sooo, this chapter. Well, it was one of those I could clearly see playing out in my mind, but that proved really hard to put down on paper… er, computer. I'm not overjoyed at the end result, but I suppose it does its job well enough… including the introduction of the Two Sisters and the two sisters! Lacey and Jamie are currently the only planned OCs, but I have several ideas which I've been toying with, so that may well change. Maybe, right? Oh, and keep a close eye on that bookstore on one side of the café… I'm not certain exactly what I'm going to do with it yet- I have several different ideas- but just know that it _will_ be important. ;)

Oh, and I can officially declare that I now know exactly how Fleeting will end. (It was one of those plot bunnies I mentioned.)Previously, I was just kinda making it up as I went along, but I now have a definite, planned conclusion… although exactly how I'll get there remains a mystery. Most of the new info I'll keep to myself (tee-hee), but I suppose I will tell you this much: don't expect to see Roxas until the very end, except for one quick cameo in a dream. (Whose dream, you ask? Now why would I tell you that? ;3) He will be pivotal to the end result, however- the dream he appears in is _very important_.

...well, then, I'll leave you on that mysterious note, and with a heartfelt thank-you to those that review and a plea that those that don't do so in the future! Adieu!

-Dawny :3


	10. Sandwiches

_Ten_

I sigh, glancing up at the clock above the counter as I flop down into one of the only open chairs.

…no way.

The clock's wrong, right?

She

I mean, even I would have noticed if I worked right through the day until it was two in the afternoon/

I mean, I'm not even hungry!

My stomach growls, as if to negate that statement.

…oh.

Okay, fine.

I stretch like some sort of cat, my joints cracking as I let out a contented sigh. This urge satisfied, I glance around as my stomach rumbles again, wondering if Zexion knows any good places to eat.

A girlish laugh sounds from behind me.

Turning, I find Lacey behind me, smiling warmly as she wipes her hands on a well-worn blue apron.

"Hungry?" she asks warmly.

I nod sheepishly.

"Yeah. Didn't realize how late it'd gotten."

She giggles, nodding. "You looked so happy."

I'm sure, from the heat in my cheeks, that I blush a little.

I can't think of anything to say, though, so I keep my silence.

Lacey won't have that, though, and there's barely a heartbeat's pause before she cheerfully says "Well, I think you've well over earned yourself some lunch.

Come on, I'll get you a sandwich."

She takes my place behind the counter, shooing me out to the tables.

I sit down at a small, tall table with a smooth blue top.

"You want something to drink, Axel?" Lacey asks as she bustles around, gathering up lunch materials.

"Coffee? Soda?"

"Just water, thanks," I reply.

I'm watching intently as she moves around and begins to build a sandwich.

First goes the bottom slice of wheat bread.

Next is a layer of mayonnaise.

After that come lettuce, tomato, and pickles, in that order, and then on top of them go ham and turkey.

Finally, there is the top slice of bread, one side of this one having been coated with mustard.

I am impressed. Lacey clearly has some sort of sandwich telepathy, because that thing looks delicious.

She smilingly sets it down in front of me, along with a bottle of water she must have grabbed on her way over.

"There you go," she says happily.

"I have to get back to the kitchen, but let me know if you need anything else!"

"Thanks, Lacey," I call after her as she cheerfully bustles back towards the swinging kitchen doors.

Then I turn my attention back to my lunch and eagerly dig in.

It's definitely the best thing I've eaten in a long while.

I take my time, savoring each bite; there's no one except me and one couple in the back corner eating, so I don't feel bad about sitting down for a while.

I can definitely understand now why Jamie and Lacey do such good business at lunchtime, that's for sure.

-x-

After lunch, I go back to work and am immediately swept back into a constant tide of motion that doesn't let me go until we wave goodbye to the last customer and begin locking up at eight o'clock.

We all say goodnight and then, soon after, Demyx, Zexion, Marluxia and I are on our way back to the clock tower.

"So what'd you guys do all day?" I ask, honestly curious- I never really caught a glimpse of any of them, being so busy myself.

"I cleaned tables," Demyx supplies cheerfully. "They have such cool ones!"

"I washed dishes," says Marluxia, choosing to ignore, like myself and Zexion, most of Demyx's response.

"I helped in the kitchen," Zexion murmurs after a half-beat of pause.

Demyx groans.

"Lucky!" he cries, lightly shoving Zexion's shoulder.

"I wanna cook stuff!"

"I'm sure Lacey will teach you eventually, provided you still want to know," Zexion replies quietly.

"Yay!" cheers Demyx, now grinning and throwing his hands in the air.

Marluxia, Zexion, and I just roll our eyes.

Nothing- not even nighttime or being denied an opportunity to try baking- can ever keep Demyx down for long.

-x-x-x-x-

…I'm sorry. OTL It's short, failending is fail, and I haven't updated since, what, September? August? ASDFJKL; I fail.

Uh… nothing much to say here. Hopefully the next one won't be nearly as painful to write (because darnit, that was HORRIBLEEEEEE TT^TT)

-Dawny


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